Falling in Love with a Soldier
by KimmieMarie
Summary: Alina works in a potion shop. Nothing exciting about that right? Not until she meets the Gorgeous, Blue-Eyed Zack Fair. They really hit it off... Hopefully Alina's nosy sister Esmeralda won't get in the way and scare Zack off.
1. Chapter 1: BlueEyed Stranger

One

(At Ceres' Shop) Alina's POV

"Thank you for coming!" I smiled at the last customer of the night. As he walked out of the door, the clinging of two bells hitting the door rang throughout the tiny shop. All day, a thousand times a day. Finally I was able to call it 'quits' for today. "Yay! Closing time!" I hopped across the counter and as soon as I flipped the sign hanging in the window to 'closed' my sister called me from out back.

"Alina! Come here a second!" I went outside to see what she wanted. It was no surprise to see her with a cigarette in her mouth.

"You're going to die of lung cancer if you don't quit those smelly death sticks." I held the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger.

"Stop trying to be my mom and listen to me." she snapped. "Look, I got a phone call last night."

"And?" I hated it when she paused like that, expecting me to know what she's going to say next.

"I have to leave for a couple of days, so...." I cut her off.

"Oh, let me take a wild guess. You're going to go shack up with your boyfriend and leave me to stay here and run this ragged joint by myself until you get back?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"Wow wee, you hit the nail on the head. So yeah, thanks onee-chan!"

"Esmeralda, you've got to be kidding me! You made it sound like an emergency! You're so full of crap!" I stormed back inside slamming the door behind me.

"I'm glad you've decided to help me!" I could here Esmeralda yell.

I muttered under my breath, although I don't know why. "Annoying."

"I'm done packing Ali." my sister came into the room with 3 suitcases, my guess would be that she'd be gone for at least a whole week, possibly longer.

"Congratulations. I am _so _glad you could pack your own bags. You're such a big girl now." I said cooing her sarcastically.

"It's not my fault I've found my soul mate." she teased. "You don't even _try _looking."

She was right. But it's still irritating when your little sister has a life, while you're running a crummy old potion shop.

"I don't have time to look for a _playmate_, looking after you and keeping this dump up and busy is a full-time job. Just be careful, and DON'T let Kane push you around."

"I know. I'm almost 20 Ali, please, you can trust me. I'll call you later. Have fun!" then she was gone.

I sat in silence for a while, thinking about what my sister said, _"you don't even __try__ looking." _

"She's so right. I do nothing but work. Geez, I'm 21 for crying out loud! She's got it all." I sighed.

The Next Day

Nothing interesting happened today. Most of the customers that came had been here before so I didn't have any trouble at all. All of the potions were in stock, and everything was in order. It was quiet, lonely, and I knew I'd be exhausted before the 3rd day. I'd have to clean, check inventory, stock up if I needed, make phone calls, possibly do some paper work, and only get a few hours of sleep.

I went outside to catch some fresh air. It was about 5 or so, only 4 more hours until I had to get a few hours of sleep, then, get back up at 7 and do it all over again.

Someone walked through the door because the bells started ringing, so I ran back to my usual spot behind the counter to help out another customer.

"Hey Alina!" a familiar friend greeted me.

"Hi, Yuffie. How have you been?" I asked the -always-hyper ninja. She may be small, but she's not at useless and puny as people take her for. She can fight.

"Great! Aw are you here alone? I don't hear Esmeralda." she asked me with pouted lips.

"Yeah. All alone." I sighed.

"Poor Ali." she teased. "Want me to stay here with you? Keep you company? I'm good at that you know."

"I know. Thanks for the wonderful offer, but no you don't need to do that." I told her. It would be nice to have company, but I didn't want her staying just to make me feel better.

"You need a boyfriend." she said in her chipper high-pitched voice.

"Ugh. Yuffie, either buy something, or beat it." I was tired of the 'boyfriend] deal. "I'm fine without the extra baggage."

She laughed.

"Scram." I said, pointing to the door.

"Fine. C'ya later Ali!"

Later

"Ah, finally! 3 days down! I love Wednesday!" I was singing joyfully to myself.

*ding* *ding* The door flew open, making the nice, cool breeze from outside rush into the stuffy room.

"Welcome–" I didn't finish my sentence, glancing up to flash a quick smile at the customer -like I always do, I got distracted. I could only stare at the glowing angel-like figure coming up to the counter. I'm sure I looked pretty stupid with my eyes wide, and my mouth hanging open in an 'o' shape.

"Um, are you okay?" the glowing creature asked me.

I was officially in a daze now. Not only did the amazing figure glisten, the melody pouring out of his mouth was the best sound I've heard in the 3 days of being here by myself. Usually when Esmeralda's here, it's mass confusion, and never quiet, so I don't pay a lot of attention to the people that come in. I just listen to the orders they place and ring up their items. Regardless of how well I pay attention, I know I've never seen him come in, or heard such an angelic voice. I caught myself still staring, so I instantly pulled my mind away, and tried to focus once more and do my job. Hopefully without drooling.

"I'm sorry, I... um... may I help you?" I thought to myself after I asked the usual question. '_Or better yet, would you hug me and tell me that you're here to rescue me from my boredom?" _but I shouldn't even think about things like that, he's a customer.

"Actually, I was just walking around... I've never been to any of the shops around here, and this one looked interesting. So, this is my first stop." he smiled. Beautiful would be an understatement, but... there was no other way of describing his perfection. Perfect and beautiful...

"Really? Wow. If it was me, I wouldn't even consider looking through the window of this dump." I said seriously.

"Nah, I like it. Plus, it seems like there are more attractive things pulling me into this little store." he smiled at me.

"Oh? What?" I looked around, trying to act like I didn't notice that he was talking about me. It worked, because he started to laugh. Then, leaning forward across the counter top, he said, "well, you are attractive."

"Hm, you aren't so bad yourself. Those eyes... they're amazing." I said looking at them, holding in the blue color. "But, are you going to buy something, or do you always flirt with girls like that?"

He smiled. "No, I don't. But, I think I will look around." he walked up and down the aisles searching the shelves. Every now and then, he'd mumble a 'hm' or 'nice.' I could only smile at him. I was instantly captured by him. I couldn't help but wonder if he had a pretty girl waiting at home for him, and I was probably just imagining him 'flirting' with me earlier. That thought upset me for some reason.

I shook away that thought when he asked me, "so, what's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, keeping conversation. I enjoyed this.

"Hm. I just have a feeling that I'll be coming back." he said smiling. Then, he came up to the counter and handed me an elixir.

"Really? Well, in that case... my name is Alina. And yours?"

"Zack. I like that name...Alina."

The way he said my name made my face turn red. I could feel the heat rising through my cheeks.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Zack. To be honest, you look really strong... do you even need anything from this shop?" I handed him the bottle as he handed me the money to pay for it.

"Well, 'to be honest', Alina," he smiled, mocking my words. "Probably not, but I have another reason for coming." he winked, then walked out of the door. I didn't even hear the bells hit the door that time.


	2. Chapter 2: Getting To Know Each Other

Two

(Friday)

"You're back." I smiled watching Zack come in.

"I told you I was going to come again." he walked over to the counter.

*ding* *ding* *ding* Another customer came in.

"Hello Alina." the young girl greeted me. I knew this girl. She used to play with a small group of kids; they used to come in here and I'd give them snacks- that is, until her mother got sick. She only comes around every-so-often.

"Hello Rose. How's your mom?" I asked the blonde girl. She looked up at me with big green eyes.

"Good. She's a lot better! It's all thanks to your stuff 'Lina!" she smiled. "I need one potion please."

I went around to one of the shelves and handed her a small blue bottle. "Here you go sweetie."

I looked at Zack and put my index finger to my lips. "Shh."

He nodded, and the girl left.

"Business is slow today." I sighed going to look out the door.

"So, you knew that little girl?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. Poor thing. Her mother fell very ill and stayed in the hospital for a month. I'm glad to hear that she's finally getting better." I replied.

We stood there in silence for a few minutes, either of us knowing what to say.

"Alina, what do you do for fun, or in your free time?" Zack asked me.

I looked at him, then down at the floor. "Nothing. I usually stay indoors while my sister goes out with her boyfriend." I was scared of what he might say, considering the fact that my life is boring and he probably goes out with his friends every night like Esmeralda does.

"You have a sister?" he sounded more than just a little interested on that note. He raised an eyebrow. "Is she as gorgeous as you?"

'_Of course he'd go straight for her...wait, what did he say?!_' I shot my head up to see him looking at me. I started to blush. "Gorgeous?... she's prettier than me yes." I pulled out my wallet from the pocket of my khaki capri's, and handed him a small photo of Esmeralda.

"Well, I can tell that you two are related, but you're prettier." he handed the picture to me. I put it in my wallet and placed it back into my pocket.

"Sure, sure. I have no life what-so-ever, she's much more interesting." I said.

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asked.

That question caught me off guard but I answered truthfully. "Nothing. Why?"

"You think I could hang around here tomorrow?"

"But the store will be closed since it's Saturday... but, sure, I don't mind. Can I ask you one thing though?"

"...I wont bite if that's what you're going to ask."

I shook my head.

"Okay. Go ahead."

"Why on earth would you want to spend Saturday with boring ol' me?" I asked a little confused.

"Well, I don't think that you're boring at all. I- well..." he threw his arms behind his head. "It's been fun sticking around, and I want to know more about you." he smiled, but he looked unsure of how I would react.

"How does 10:00 sound?" I smiled warmly. I was surprised that he would want to 'get to know me better'.

"Great." he walked over the door. "Plus, I want to hear more about your sister."

"Zack!" I stomped.

He started laughing. "Kidding."

I started thinking. I got nervous about having Zack here all day without the ususal interruptions from people coming in to buy things. But, at the same time, I couldn't help but be excited.

I felt like a 16 year old again, waiting for my date to the prom to arrive and whisk me away. I had butterflies, I couldn't help but pace back and forth. Then, my waiting paid off. He came in wearing that beautiful, perfect smile. "Hey."

"H-e-y." I choked out.

"Are you okay?" he asked stepping closer towards me.

"W-well, I'm just a little nervous... but happy at the same time." I said. There was no point in lying, especially when he was standing that close.

"Oh, don't be nervous. I told you before. 'I won't bite'".

_No you'll just give me a massive heart attack. _I thought to myself. "No, it's just.. This is just a change for me. Sorry." I laughed a shaky laugh. "So, let's go to the back room."

"Whoa. Now I'm the nervous one." he teased.

"No! Zack. There are chairs in the back room, silly." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, right." he followed me to the back.

We sat down. "So, what do you want to know?" I asked.

He leaned back against the chair, crossing his arms. "Where were you born?"

"Here. In Midgar. You?"

"Gongaga."

I giggled. "Okay, next."

"You making fun of Gongaga?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"Of course not. It's just a funny name. But so is Midgar, so I can't say much. And..."

"Especially Nibelhiem." we said at the same time.

He looked at me, and we started laughing. "Zack, my turn. How old are you?"

"23. How old are you?" he asked back.

"21."

"When's your sister coming back?"

"I don't know."

The questions came one after another. We ended up talking for 3 hours. It was fun hearing his stories. I learned a lot of things about Zack, as he did me. We talked about our families, friends, favorite things.

"We have a lot in common." Zack laughed after I told him about all the trouble I used to get into when I was a child. It was funny knowing that we were both troublemakers when we were younger, and apparently some things don't change. We still get in trouble from time to time. He seemed really interested to hear about the little fights my sister and I've had over the years. Oddly, he didn't want to tell me much about his family, but it didn't bother me so I didn't force it out of him.

Though he wouldn't tell me too much about his family, he told me about his closest friend Angeal and all of the missions they went on together.

"What happened to him?"

"He disappeared a while ago. But, then he called the other day and told me that he'd be home soon. So, I'm waiting." he smiled. "He should be here next week."

I looked down at the floor.

"Hey, Alina... Is something wrong? He asked.

"I know that we've already told each other a lot about ourselves, and you seem really nice... but something feels... wrong." I confessed. We've only known each other for 3 days, and it's probably too late to say something now, but I felt stupid for letting this happen.

"I understand. I'm not a bad guy, and I assure you that I have no intentions of harming you. Maybe I shouldn't have been so stupid. I should've given it a few more days, or even longer. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable." he said.

"No. You don't understand. I may sound really confusing right now, but... despite feeling a little weird, I was really happy that you did this."

"Well, if you still want to talk to me, to make it more comfortable for you, why don't I call you?" he suggested.

"Okay. Does that mean you're not coming back to the store?"

"Of course not! I'll pop in from time to time, possibly cause you a little trouble... how's that sound?" he pulled out his cell phone and we exchanged numbers. "Feel free to call me anytime."

"Okay. I am truly sorry Zack. I feel awful. You sure you still want to be my friend?" I asked with a hint of sadness to my voice.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Oh, and when your sister gets back, tell her I say hi." he said jokingly.

"Get out of here." I replied, laughing.

It was back to any other day. I was sad when he left, and I couldn't stop thinking about him.


	3. Chapter 3: Little White Lie

Three

(Sunday)

"Hey. It's good to see you again." my sister said unpacking her things.

I nodded, though she couldn't see me. She got back about 5 minutes ago, and came right in to unpack.

"Alina?" she came into the room. Even though the store is small, it contains four rooms. The main room is the store, the back room -we call it- is the break room, then, my sister and I share a bedroom, making the fourth room a bathroom. I spend most of my time in the shop. I even sleep in here sometimes.

Esmeralda slapped her hand down on the hard wooden counter top. I didn't jump or even look up at her.

"Alina, what's your deal?!" she asked angrily. "You've been staring at that frikin telephone ever since I walked through the door!" she grabbed the black and silver cordless phone. I automatically grabbed her wrist in reaction.

"Put the phone down. Now." I threatened in a dark voice. She did as I asked, probably scared to death.

"What's your problem?" grabbing a chair from the break room and pulling it up to the front of the counter, she sat down and waited for my answer.

"I don't have a problem." I got up and went to the bathroom.

(Esmeralda's POV)

I heard the door close as my sister went to the bathroom. That was the only room in the back that had a door on it. I sat there appalled by my sisters actions. She was hiding something from me, I knew it. I waited for her to come back out.

Then, the phone rang. '_Is this why she was staring at the phone? Was this the call she had been waiting for?_' I thought to myself, picking up the phone.

"Ceres', may I help you?" I answered.

On the other end of the phone, "Alina?" a very appealing voice asked for my sister.

He sounded sexy, and I was curious, so... "may I ask who's calling?"

"It's Zack." he sounded a little confused.

Zack? That name didn't seem familiar at all. I looked around the corner real quick to see if Alina was coming. She was still in the bathroom. More than likely she was either trying to find a way to explain her odd behavior, or she was stalling. Stalling was something she did a lot, so I assumed it was the second.

"I'm sorry. Alina is deathly ill, I would be glad to help you." I lied.

"What?! Well, what's the matter?!" he was nearly shouting at this point.

I knew it was wrong to lie like this, but I was going to find out who this guy was, and why Alina hadn't bothered to tell me about him. "Hm, we aren't really sure."

*click* he hung up. "bingo." I whispered, putting the phone back on the receiver. "He should be here any minute." I smiled.

Alina came out and narrowed her eyes at me. "What?"

"Did someone call while I was in the bathroom?" she sat back down.

"Yeah."

She jumped, and her eyes widened. "Who? What did he want?"

"He? How do you assume that is was a guy?" I had to admit, toying with her was wrong but oh-so-fun.

"Oh. I-I..." she started to blush.

'_Oh my god, she's... she's got a crush on that Zack guy. It's totally obvious. But, how long have they known each other?' _there were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I knew they'd be answered soon enough.

The door flew open. "Is she okay?!"

I smiled widely. He was hot. Muscular, beautiful blue eyes, flawless. "She's great, thanks for asking, handsome." I laughed.

"What? Zack?" Alina was staring at him.

He ran over to her and felt her forehead. He looked at me. "She seems fine, a little red, but..."

I laughed again.

"Esmeralda right? Oh, no, was I tricked?" he asked slumping forward.

"So she's told you about me." I looked over at Alina. We all had some explaining to do, especially me."

We were all sitting. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TOLD HIM SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!" Alina yelled at me.

"What about you? You've only known him for 4 days and you're already crushing on him!" I blurted out. '_Oops_'

She shot her head towards him then looked away. Blushing again. Zack even blushed a little. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye. If I knew any better, I'd say he liked her too. Alina was easier to read. I have never seen her this way before, she never cared about guys before. Maybe I was being too quick to judge about the situation. She deserves nothing but happiness, and clearly, she was happy to have met him. She's never been in a relationship. I started to feel bad after thinking about that.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have butted in and lied. Alina..."

She stood up. "Esmeralda, I'm not angry at you. You've been pulling crap like this ever since we were little. But..." she looked at Zack.

"Huh? What did I do?" he asked nervously.

"I can't believe you fell for her trick!" Alina pointed at me. "Even after what I told you about her and her conniving little..." she stopped.

It was quiet until we all started to laugh.

Later that day, I got to know Zack a little better. We all talked for a while until he had to leave.

"Hey, um... can I talk to you privately?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Bye, Alina." he waved to my sister.

"Bye, Zack. Esmeralda, don't keep him too long." she said, annoyed.

Zack and I stepped outside before he left.

"What's up Esmeralda?"

"Well, it's just..." I trailed off.

"I'm not going to hurt her. I know we've known each other for a short time, but I like her." he smiled. "It was really nice to meet you."

"You too." I replied. He had took the words right out of my mouth.

He was gone a few seconds later. '_He's such a nice guy._' I thought to myself. Sighing, I went back into the shop to apologize once more to Alina for my sick, insinuated plan to interfere in her life.


	4. Chapter 4: A Visit From An Old Friend

Four

(Three weeks Later) Alina's POV

It's been 2 weeks since Zack left. He said that he had to go pick up a friend from Niblehiem. I've finally gotten enough courage to call him, so he doesn't have to be the one to do it.

We've talked every day since he first gave me his number. It's been real nice talking to someone other than my sister and the everyday-always-happy customers that walk through here. I've gotten to know him better, and vise versa. Finding out more about him, only makes me like him more. Esmeralda pesters me all the time, asking me to tell her what Zack and I talk about, the new things I learn about him, et cetera.

"Has he called you today?" my sister asked, coming in to stock up on the things we needed,

"No Esmeralda..." I sighed. A customer came in making both Esmeralda and I jump. Every time that door opens, I wait to see him pop through, perfect as always and smiling. I think Esmeralda hoped for that almost as much as I did.

Hearing the door fly open but not see him standing there gets old after a while. It makes you not want to look up at all anymore, but I did it each time anyway.

"Welcome to Ceres'." I greeted the customer. The black haired, hazel eyed woman looked familiar, but it didn't occur to me until she started to speak.

"Hiya, Alina. You don't remember me, do you?" she smiled.

"Um..." I looked around, trying to remember but it still wouldn't come to me. "No. I'm sorry."

"That makes me very sad." she grinned, and threw her head to the side. She looked as if she'd kill me if I didn't recognize her within the next 2 seconds.

Then it hit me. "Kian?! Kian Reinhart?!" I stood up to get a closer look at her.

"Finally. Geez, you make me feel real damn special 'Lina!" she threw her hands up on her hips.

"Oh my god, how have you been?" I asked.

"Ah. Kicking ass like always." she chuckled deviously.

"You never change do you?" I laughed.

"You know me too well. So, how's life treating you?" Kian asked.

I didn't want to answer her, because she- being herself, would want the 'juicy' details of my 'love' life. She was exactly right, 'I knew her too well'." She was like this when we went to school together. If I had a crush on someone she would want to know everything.

"Hm. It's... good." I answered in the simplest way I could think of. My life was never worth talking about, but now that I can actually say it's livened up a bit, I decided to go ahead and tell her. "It's changed in the last few weeks."

"Changed? How?"

"Well...I met this really great guy."

As soon as I said the word 'guy' she was all-ears and ready to pull up a chair to listen. "Really?! What's he like?"

I tried to find the one word I knew to use to describe him, without dragging it out too much. I didn't want to sound like I was bragging. "Perfect."

"Perfect? That's all you're going to tell me?!"

"Yep." I smiled.

"Not fair." Kian complained.

'Fair...' Zack's last name. I sighed. "Kian, would you think I was going completely insane if I told you he was like an angel sent from the heavens to... I don't know, make my life more interesting?" I laughed at the word 'interesting' because that seemed to be Zack's favorite word. '_It looked interesting._'

"Wow, um... no, you're not insane, but you act as if you really like him. That's a good thing. I'm happy for you."

There was a familiar ringing noise filling my ears. I suddenly realized it was the door opening. And, there, in the doorway, he stood. Kian looked at me and examined my face. I knew I was blushing, but I couldn't control it.

"Hey. Did you miss me?" the tune of his voice washing through the awkward silence made my heart rate go up.

Perfect timing. "Maybe. I'm glad you're back."

"Oh, my god. THIS is the boyfriend you told me about? I see what you mean by perfect." Kian blurted out.

I jumped across the counter, clasping my hand over her mouth. "Kian! He's not my boyfriend!"

"Aw, c'mon baby, don't be so cold, I just got back." Zack teased. I was hoping that he wouldn't catch on so quickly.

"ZACK! No... it's..."

Kian did her usual thing, asking a thousand questions. Only stopping when she got all the information she needed- or at least until she was satisfied.

"Finally..."I sighed, relieved after Kian left. Now I had to explain to Zack what happened.

"Perfect?" he asked grinning.

I looked down at the ground. "...Z-z-z-a-ack..." I couldn't speak clearly. "P-please... please don't run away." I fell to my knees.

"W-what?" Zack knelt down, and lifted my head to look at him. "Why would I run away Alina?"

"That's all anyone ever does when I try to show my true feelings. I didn't tell Kian that you were my boyfriend, I swear! She just assumed..." I felt like I was going to cry.

"Alina! What's the matter?! Zack, what the hell did you do?!" I heard Esmeralda's terrified voice from behind me.

"I didn't do anything...she's saying that she's afraid I'll run away." Zack said. I could hear panic in both of their voices.

Then everyone went quiet. "I'm sorry! Please excuse me!" I ran out the shop door, heading outside.

"Alina!" I heard Zack yell.

Zack's POV

"Let her go. She needs to b e alone when this happens." Esmeralda pulled on my shirt.

"You make it sound as if this happens more than once or twice." I said. She looked up at me, her big brown eyes looked empty.

"Okay. Pull up a chair, this might take a while." we got 2 chairs. Esmeralda switched the 'open' sign to 'closed' and sat down in her chair in front of me. She took a deep breath and began- what I guessed to be a painful- reminiscence.

"It starts off on Valentine's day. February 14th... a month from today. Alina's," she paused as if she couldn't speak. "Alina's birthday."

I looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You've probably noticed, are parents aren't around?" she said. I nodded in response. "Well, that's because... they hate 'Lina. She always did the best she could. Protected anyone and anything she loves. She never complained about anything. When I came along they completely ignored her. Then, her 18th birthday, she asked for one thing, and one thing only. To take me to the beach. We went and had a great time, but as the day dragged on, I got sick of it all. The sand, the ocean, the seagulls.

"Alina, on the other hand, she loved the beach. She and I weren't really able to go outside much, so it surprised us both when our parents allowed us to go. As I said, I was ready to leave the beach. Alina begged me to allow her just one more hour, but I was selfish, I threw a fit. I would scream and kick dirt. "I WANT TO GO HOME!" so, without any hesitation we got in the car. As we were riding home she told me that she wanted to move out, to live near the beach. It was her dream, and I couldn't understand why she would want to leave me behind, so I went too far and started yelling at her. I told her that I hated her.

"She took her hands off of the wheel, hyperventilating. We started to run off the road, spinning out of control until we crashed. We hit a tree, but luckily we didn't hit it any harder than we did." Esmeralda closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, opening her eyes again, she started to speak once more. "Alina hit her head, gashing her forehead on the steering wheel. You can see the scar if you get close enough, but it's not that noticeable. I freaked out, but I came out with only a few scratches and bruises. When I looked at Alina, I fainted. I pass out at the sight of blood, and it was all over the steering wheel, running down her frightened face. Since she was so much stronger than me, she got out of the car like nothing happened. I knew because when I woke up just a few minutes later she was carrying me.

"The nearest hospital was about 10 miles back the other way, and home was only 5 miles ahead, and we didn't have a cell phone, so she did what came to mind. She's amazing, she walked all the way home carrying me without stopping, or falling out. As soon as our parents opened the door they took me away from her. Despite her injuries, my dad slapped her, and pushed her up against the wall asking her why she was so careless with me. '_YOUR SISTER COULD HAVE DIED!_' I remember him yelling at her. She apologized. They never even tended to her wounds.

"She took care of herself, bandaging her head, cleaning up her bloodied face. She stayed by my bedside all night. She sung to me, telling me how sorry she was. She probably didn't even sleep, and all of that was my fault, because I was being a spoiled brat. the next day, my parents had packed some of my things- along with theirs. They told me that they were leaving, leaving our home, and my sister behind to go live with my aunt. I was too young to live alone, and I wasn't 18 so I had to listen to them.

"I begged them to let me stay with her. I remember it like it was yesterday. They picked me up because I kept trying to run back to Alina. '_NO! I WANT TO STAY WITH ALINA!_' I screamed, but that did no good. I looked over at her and she fell to her knees like today, but she was smiling, only letting a few tears escape her eyes. She smiled saying, '_No, you must go with them sweetheart. Mom and dad will always take care of you. It would be dangerous for you to be here with me._' I was furious at her. I couldn't believe she'd say something so awful, something so untrue. She told me, '_I love you, little sister,_' but I was angry.

"I recited those 3 hideous words once more. '_I hate you._' then, we left." Esmeralda took a long pause, never looking at me. "I'm ashamed of myself, but she forgives me."

"She loves you." I said softly.

"Yeah. I know. Well, I called her. Then, after 2 years had passed, I was able to move out. I begged Alina to let me stay with her, and she allowed it. We fixed things between us, and moved closer to town, to open up this shop. She's changed. She doesn't put up with my crap anymore." she laughed.

"Esmeralda..." I mumbled, but she stopped me from finishing.

"She probably feels like a screw-up, that's why she said what she did. She didn't want to fully trust you, but she ended up doing it anyways. She stared at that damn phone for hours until you called. So... even if you do decide to walk out on her, I want to say thank you for making her happy. Thanks for waltzing in like the 'perfect angel' she claims you to be." she laughed. "But, don't tell her I said that."

I organized my thoughts, taking it all in. I stood up. "I'm not the type of person who doesn't try. I won't walk away from something, or someone I care about. I like her, and I'm sorry all of that had to happen." I told her.

"Me too. Thanks again. Sorry I had to tell you about my selfish ways." she replied.

I laughed.

"Continue to be her friend, Zack." Esmeralda smiled.

"I plan to."


	5. Chapter 5: Happy Birthday!

Five

(one month later) -Alina's POV-

"Happy birthday!" my sister jumped on my bed, waking me up.

"Thanks." I replied.

"You're 22!" she said excitedly.

I got up to get dressed and eat breakfast. Esmeralda bought me an individual sized cake- probably chocolate with white icing. In purple letters was written, 'Happy 22nd Alina!.'

"Don't you think I'm a little too old for cake?" I smiled playfully.

"What?! Of course not!"

The shop was closed today, we always close it for our birthday's and for certain holidays. Then, we heard someone whistle. I saw my sister smile and I automatically knew who it was. I got up and ran out to the main room, with Esmeralda following.

"Happy Birthday." Zack was leaning up against the door with his arms crossed. He smiled at me and winked.

I started blushing. Esmeralda elbowed me in the side. "Th-thank you very much Zack."

"That's all?" he asked tilting his head to the side.

"What more do you want?" I asked, confused.

He winked again. "Hm..."

"Uh, Zack!" I blurted, embarrassed. I covered my face with my hands.

He started laughing. "Esmeralda, do you mind if I steal your sister today? I have a present for her. I'm afraid it's too big to fit into my pocket."

I gasped, partly because I was afraid, and because I didn't expect him to get me a present. Having him tell me happy birthday was enough, but I was to nervous to say so.

"Nah, I don't mind. Take care of her okay?" Esmeralda winked at him. It was like they had a secret... like they were speaking in code.

Before I could say anything, Zack grabbed my hand and ran out of the store. We got into his slick, black sports car and rode off.

"Zack, what are you doing? Where are we going?" I asked.

"Hey, c'mon. Trust me. Just relax Alina." he smiled.

I felt myself drifting to sleep. Long car rides always made me sleepy. Then, I was aware of someone touching me. I opened my eyes to see Zack scooping me up into his strong arms.

"W-what? Zack-" he put his index finger over my lips. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

"Just close your eyes and keep blushing, alright?" he laughed.

"Meanie!" I did as he said. I heard the sound of the wind blowing, birds- seagulls squawking. The smell of salt mixed with the fresh air. Then the sound of gentle waves crashing. He set me down on- what felt like cool sand.

"Happy Birthday Alina. And, Happy Valentine's Day." he whispered as I opened my eyes.

"The beach!" I jumped. '_Happy Valentine's Day_' he was the first person to ever tell me that. I instinctively turned around, throwing my arms around his neck. I squeezed him tightly into one big bear hug. "Zack, oh, thank you so much!" I kissed his cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day to you too. Thank you." I let go of him. His cheeks were pink and he looked shocked. I couldn't help but smile. I giggled, then took off to the edge of the water.

I called after him, "hey! Why are you standing there like a lost puppy?"

He flew his eyes up toward me, and came to stand beside me. "Not you too." he pushed me.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Angeal. He calls me a puppy all the time."

I laughed tilting my head to the side, "Zack, the puppy?"

"Ah, Alina!" he looked down at the ground. He was adorable. No wonder Angeal came up with that one.

"I like puppies." I looked out at the ocean.

He chuckled. "I told you about some of my friends, but you never told me about any of yours."

"Okay. I'll tell you, but first. Esmeralda told you about that night... didn't she?"

"Yes."

"Hm." I nodded. If he knew about all of that, then, why was he wasting his time with me still? Did that mean he still wants to be my friend?

We sat down on the sand. "Well, I have Kian, the one you do know about, then I have Kanako. I haven't seen Kana in about a year."

"Kanako?"

"Yeah. She moved and I haven't talked to her."

"Kanako... what's her last name?" Zack asked.

"Morikai."

"I know her!" he declared.

"Really?! How?"

"She knows a friend of mine. You want to see her? We have plenty of time." he asked, springing to his feet.

"That would be great!"

We pulled in front of a huge house I'd never seen before. It only took us about 10 minutes to get here from the beach, so from the shop it would be about an hour and a half, to 2 hour drive. The house was absolutely beautiful and I was only talking about the outside, I bet the inside was twice as beautiful. Zack and I walked up to the door and rang the musical doorbell. It was loud, but pretty. Like a lullaby. I couldn't believe I was about to see Kana. I was excited, but It was weird. I felt like this day couldn't get any better, but at the same time, I felt like I was dreaming, like all of this was too good to be true. Regardless of whether this was all a dream, it was the best birthday ever.

"I'm a little nervous." I mumbled, mainly to myself, but Zack could hear it too.

"It'll be okay." he looked down at me.

I fiddled with the bottom of my lavender tube top. "What if she doesn't remember me?"

The door opened before Zack could answer me.

"Vincent. Hiya!" Zack greeted the tall, mysterious man in front of us. He was gorgeous. Orange-red eyes, long black hair, and a hard, concentrated expression. It was bad enough to feel jealous of Zack's flawlessness, but his friend was just as flawless. I had to admit, beside feeling jealous of his marble silk skin and he pretty black hair, I was intimidated.

"Zack." he nodded once.

"Alina, this is Vincent. Vincent, this is Alina." Zack introduced us.

"Alina. Alina Delmazio?" Vincent asked.

"Yes. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. Come in." he gestured.

We walked in, seeing the blue walls, shiny hardwood floors, and floor length black curtains.

"Hold on just a moment." Vincent walked up the black spiral staircase.

"Alina! Is it really you?" running down the stairs in front of Vincent was in fact my old friend Kanako. Her dark blue hair had gotten longer, touching to about the middle of her back.

"Kana!" I ran up to her. She hugged me.

"So, I can come visit you in your shop, right?" Kanako asked me, with pleading eyes.

"Yes! Anytime."

Zack and Vincent were in the living room talking while Kanako and I fixed some drinks in the kitchen.

"So, is Zack your boyfriend?" she asked.

"Uh, n-no..." I was bending down to pick up a straw that I had dropped. When I stood up- too fast- I hit my head on the corner of the opened cabinet door. "Ow..."

"Oh no, Alina! I'm so sorry!" Kanako apologized looking at the cut.

I put my hand on my forehead, "it's fine."

Zack rushed in, and Vincent was at Kanako's side. I started blushing, thinking of what Kana had asked me. His big, blue eyes were reading my face. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm fine." I answered him softly. Kanako handed me a wet paper towel while Vincent went to get a band-aid. He came back and handed Zack. I stared at him while he placed it over the cut on my head.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

I could hear Vincent grunt, "humph." Kanako giggled, and of course Zack laughed, making me blush again. I hit him in the chest with my palm.

"Come see me Kana!" I told her as we were about to leave.

"I will!" she promised.

We got back into the car. I was still playing those words over again and again in my head. '_Is Zack your boyfriend?_' especially the last one. 'Boyfriend.'

"So, did you have fun today?" Zack asked.

"Yes! Thank you so much! You've done so much for me today." I recited.

"I'm glad that you and Kanako got to see each other again, after so long."

"Me too. You know, I was really scared, being around Vincent."

"Why?"

"He's so... quiet, and he made me a little uncomfortable. I just didn't know what to say to him, but Kana seems happy, so I'm glad."

"Yeah. I see where you're coming from. He's cool, he opens up and talks more once you get to know him and if you hang around him long enough. Vincent's a pretty tough guy, he doesn't show much emotion, but he seemed happy too."

"Really?!" I said, surprised. "How could you tell?"

He let out a long pleasing laugh. "He was smiling, every time he looked at her, or every time she looked at him. It may have been hard for you to notice, but I did."

"Kana's amazing, isn't she?" I smiled. "I missed her."

It was quiet for a while, until Zack grinned asking, "how in the world did you hit your head?"

*gulp* It was hard to swallow. "Well, she, um... she asked me a question, it caught me off guard."

"Oh. What did she ask you? I mean, if you feel like talking about it." he raised an eyebrow, obviously curious.

"You can't laugh." I demanded.

"He nodded once. "Okay."

"I'm serious Zack." I snorted.

"Okay." he waited for me to answer.

I thought about it for a while. I didn't want to tell him what Kanako had really asked, so I tried to make something up. Something believable.

"She asked me if I had a boyfriend." at least it wasn't a total lie.

"Oh. The boyfriend thing again. Ha, well... what did you say?" he kept his eyes on the road.

"I told her 'no' of course. I don't have a boyfriend, so I told the truth."

"Right." he said.

I looked over at him, and tried to change the subject. "Vincent laughed at me."

His smile came back. "Really?"

"Well, he probably didn't laugh, but it sounded like it. He probably doesn't understand how I could hurt myself like that. I faintly heard Kana giggle, but I was too distracted."

"Distracted?" Zack said. Oops.

"Uh... yeah. The cut, you know?" I could feel the blush coming.

"Yeah. You should be more careful."

I sank into the seat. I was too embarrassed to talk.


	6. Chapter 6: Going Home

Six

(2 weeks later)

"Alina, I've got to go home for a little while, okay?" Zack was telling me over the phone.

I stayed silent for a second, then did the natural thing. "Oh, is everything okay? How long are you going to be?"

I could hear a smile in his voice. "Everything's fine. I gotta do a few things, visit an old friend... I'm not entirely sure how long I'll be gone, but probably a month or two."

"A MONTH, OR TWO?!" I shouted.

He started laughing. "I mean, oh." I said calmly. "Well, when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow." he sighed.

"Okay. Well, um... a customer just came in, so... I'll call you later. Bye." I said quickly, hanging up.

I looked straight ahead at the empty store, and put my head down. I was going to be miserable while he was away. The door came open, but I didn't lift my head, that is, until I knew who it was.

"You're a terrible liar." Zack's smooth voice flowed through the shop.

My heart nearly stopped, but I was determined to keep my head down. I didn't want him to see me crying. "You haven't packed your things yet?" I asked sarcastically., my vice muffled by the crease of my arm.

"No. I had something more important to do."

I looked up at him.

"Wha- you, you're crying? Why?!" he asked coming up to the counter.

I bit my lip, then ran over to him. I threw myself up against him, hugging him. "Be careful, okay?"

I stepped back behind the counter, leaving him speechless and staring at me. I was going to miss those beautiful blue eyes.

"Yeah." was all he could say.

Then a few more tears trailed down my cheeks. "I mean it! Please. I..." my voice cracked. "I'll miss you." I smiled with tears still filling my eyes.

"Alina, I'm coming back. I'll miss you too. Seriously, quit that!" he looked upset.

"But..."

"You're doing it again. I will call you."

I just kept crying. The goodbye was getting closer each second he spoke. "Well, I don't want to keep you." I wiped my eyes.

"You're not. I came here to spend some time with you before I left." he smiled.

"Thanks." I sniffled.

We walked around a bit, then he took me to the beach.

"Ah. I love it here. It's so peaceful." I inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of the ocean, the clean air, and I could smell Zack. This made me want to cry again, but I did my best to hold it back.

"Well, I could understand that. Though, it's peaceful now because it's dark and there are only a few people out here." Zack said. We were laying down on the sand looking up at the stars.

"The sky is beautiful. It's so big... you know, the first time I say your eyes I thought of the sky." I said softly.

"Hm. You sound like _her_." he answered.

"Her?" my face dropped. Good thing Zack didn't see.

"Aerith."

"Aerith?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh. So that's what it is!"

"What?"

"Girls with the letter 'A'...?"

"Huh? No." he laughed. "She's an old friend."

"Is she the one you're visiting?" I asked.

"Sort of. There's actually someone else, but when I find him, I'll probably find her." he laughed.

"What's she look like?" her name was pretty, so it probably matched her appearance.

"Green eyes... like you, long brown hair. She usually wears it braided into a ponytail. She's kind os quiet, and really nice."

I ran my fingers through my light orange hair. It was long too, down to my waist. I let out a short sigh. She was probably much prettier than I was. I didn't want to let this get to me, but I kept asking questions. "So why did you say I sounded like her?"

"Well, you only sound like her because of the eye thing, but... she used to be afraid of the sky."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think she's gotten over it thought."

Another question popped out. "What was she afraid of? I don't see how you could be afraid of it."

"It was just too big, she said, '_I feel like I'm being sucked in_.' he shook his head.

It made me wonder what Zack would say about me if Aerith, or someone else asked him about who I was. "Hm."

Zack's phone started ringing, pulling me from my thoughts. My stomach turned.

"Yeah...oh...okay. I'll be there in an hour." he answered.

I stood up, and started walking to the car. Luckily, it was already unlocked, so I got in. Zack ran over to the car, got in, but didn't start it, or buckle his seat belt like I already had. "Alina?"

I didn't look at him, I watched the ocean. "You're leaving earlier than planned right?" I asked coldly. I knew I shouldn't be this, but I got irritated.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

I smiled. It was fake, but I didn't want to ruin the last few minutes left with him before he went away. "It's okay. Not your fault."

He looked at me, relieved. "Thanks for understanding. I really am sorry though."

"It's okay. You gotta do what you gotta do. SOLDIER." I put my hand against my forehead as If to salute him. I winked.

We both laughed.

"Well, this is my stop. Zack, be careful... and," I leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'll miss you. Zack the puppy."

Before he could say anything, I got out of the car, shut the door and went into the shop. I peeked through the blinds watching him leave. I smiled in spite of myself.

"You're in a good mood." Esmeralda came in. She cleared her throat. "Did he make a move or something?"

"No. He's leaving." I turned to face my sister. "He won't be back for a while, so I didn't want to make the last few minutes bad ones."

"Oh. Sorry." she paused. "Leaving? Why? Where? How long?"

Esmeralda sounded just like me. I wanted to answer her, but for some reason, I just didn't feel like talking. I walked away, going to our room. Esmeralda must have known how I felt, because she didn't come in to force the answers out of me, or persuade me into telling her everything, like she normally did.


	7. Chapter 7: Talking With Aerith

Seven

(The Next Day)

And, of course, the next day would be miserable. Indeed. It was rainy all day, so there weren't that many customers.

"Hey, you!" Esmeralda slapped her hand down on the counter. "You need to do something. Geez, you've been moping around here like a wandering ghost!"

"Great, now you're getting worked up. Just stop, I'm fine."

Zack's POV

"Yo! It's the puppy!" Angeal called out as I walked through the door.

"Aw, c'mon Angeal, I just got here!" I complained.

I heard someone walk through the door soon after I did. "Zack?" the voice was soft and gentle.

"Hiya, Aerith." I turned to look at her. Like always, she was holding flowers, cradling them in her arms like a baby.

"It's so good to see you again Zack!" she smiled.

"Hey, what happened to that awesome flower wagon I made you?!"

She looked down at the floor. "It... fell apart, and I couldn't fix it."

I laughed. "Okay. Well, I know he's here, so... where can I find him?"

Aerith smiled pointing to the door behind me.

"Is he sleeping?"

"Yes." she giggled.

I walked over to the door and counted to three. "No Zack. He's tired!" Aerith protested. I was up to no good, and she could tell.

As soon as I got to three... "CLOUD!" I barged in, being as loud as I could.

He grumbled then sat up to look my way. "Z-zack?"

"Who else would It be? Sephiroth?"

"That's not funny." his voice cracked.

"Lighten up." I laughed.

"So, how have things been?" Angeal asked.

"...never better..." that was true. But something told me this 'trip' wouldn't be easy- going like I wanted it to be.

Aerith asked the next question. "Have you made any new friends?"

I smiled, remembering the day I walked through town, seeing that tiny shop and meeting Alina. I was in a daze.

"Helllooo?" Aerith sounded impatient.

"Uh. Yeah, I have."

"Well, well, well... people like puppies huh?" Angeal added jokingly.

"Is this person nice?" Aerith asked.

I nodded. Then, Cloud spoke. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

It seemed like everyone in the room was leaning toward me, on the edge of their seats.

'_Give me a break_' I thought. "Yeah. Her name is Alina."

Angeal burst into laughter, Cloud just rolled his eyes, and Aerith was amazed. She wanted me to tell her more.

Later That Day

"Hey." I greeted Alina over the phone. "Yeah, everything's fine. How about you? Oh. Okay." she had to hang up.

Aerith came outside to join me. "Was that Alina?"

"Yes..." I stared at the open phone. It was blinking 'call ended.' it felt like she didn't want to talk to me.

"Zack? What's the matter?"

"I think she's mad at me. Our phone calls are short and she sighs a lot." I let my head drop.

"She misses you."

I looked at Aerith. "If that's the case, then why...?"

I heard her sigh. "She misses you and it probably makes it hard to talk because no matter how long you talk to her, she can't see you."

Aerith is really good at this kind of thing.

"Hm..."

"You shouldn't stay long. It's rude to keep a girl waiting."

"Yeah." was all I could say to that.

"May I ask you something?" Aerith asked.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"What's she like?"

I shook my head. "You two ask the same questions. I should have known you'd ask that."

*So the story telling begins*

"Wow. She sounds perfect for you. You sound happy when you talk about her." Aerith said.

"Yeah. I am happy." I replied.

"You like her a lot." she nudged me in the side.

"Probably more than I should." I looked away.

"Why do you even say something like that?"

I sighed. "I keep leaving her behind."

"Then, bring her here next time. We won't bite, you know." she smiled.

"I don't know about that." I winked, making her laugh.

"I'm leaving early. Cloud, you better be ready..." I told everyone that next morning.

Cloud stood up. "Why are we leaving early?"

Aerith shook her head, "Now Cloud, Zack has to get back to something important." she looked at me and smiled.

Cloud just sat there. He probably didn't want to get taken away from Aerith, but dragging him away was her idea in the first place.

'_Zack, take Cloud with you. If only for a couple of days. He doesn't get out much anymore, I'm worried. He looks up to you, you're his best friend._' those were her exact words.

After the last battle involving Sephiroth and Genesis, Angeal hasn't done much either, but I can't tell him to do anything.

One Week Later

"So Cloud, you ready to meet my new friends?" I asked him. We had already left. It was around 2:00 p.m.

"Yeah. I guess." he replied in a low voice.

"You guess?"

"Well, I've already met Angeal and Aerith. But, I guess I don't have a choice." Cloud sighed.

I laughed. "Yeah, I'd drag you along anyways."

"I know. You don't have to cover it up, I know she's worried. That's why you're doing this."

"I'm sorry Cloud. Aerith has her reasons."

"Okay. We're here. Midgar! Alright Cloud, let's go."

I lead Cloud through the streets of Midgar, until we stopped in front of the place that I had missed the most. Ceres' Potion Shop. I was happy to see that sign again. It felt like I had been away for more than a week and half, which was actually part of the original plan. I wasn't supposed to be here for another couple of weeks.

I opened the door, walking through with Cloud right behind me. There were no sight of movement, no one was inside- for what I could see.

"Hello?" I called out. I looked at Cloud. "Something's not right."

He looked confused, "how can you determine that? You've only called for someone once, plus, we've been here for less than a minute.

What he said made sense, but something told me to listen to my instincts.

And my instincts told me to listen to my heart, which was telling me that something was a little off.

"Hello?" I called once more. "Esmeralda?. Alina?"

Before I could call out one more time, the door opened. "Zack?" Esmeralda's voice rang through the empty room, bouncing off of the cream-colored walls.

"Esmeralda! Where's Alina?" I rushed over to her.

She didn't answer.


	8. Chapter 8: Sephiroth

Eight

"Esmeralda, where's your sister?" I asked her again.

"I'm not entirely sure." she finally spoke up. "Oh!"

"What?"

"She's at the beach. Ha. She goes every once in a while. Sorry, I forgot about that."

I sighed in relief, knowing that Alina was okay. "Geez, Esmeralda!"

"Sorry." she laughed.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. She wasn't acting like herself.

"Maybe... maybe not..." she spoke softly.

"You need to talk about it?"

"This... scary looking guy came in, silver hair..."

"Sephiroth." I said. She didn't hear me. She was staring off in another direction.

"He was wearing an angry expression, but he looked somewhat... gentle."

"Sephiroth." I muttered again.

"He said he was new here."

I waited.

"He's with my sister." she coked out, jolting her head my way. Her eyes widened.

"WHAT?!"

I ran out. "I'm bringing her back. Wait here Esmeralda. Come on Cloud."

We drove to the beach. I was furious, I couldn't believe he was here, with Alina for that matter. This was _her_ spot. Why did she bring him here?

"Zack, why is he with her? Isn't she afraid of him?" Cloud asked.

"Probably not. She's not afraid of anything. Although, I can't figure out why she's with him at her favorite place. It doesn't make sense." I was hoping that this was another one of Esmeralda's dirty tricks. If it was, she definitely caught my attention.

I parked the car and turned it off. I saw Alina standing beside Sephiroth, only inches away from the front of the car. It was like they were expecting me. Cloud and I stepped out of the car.

"Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" Cloud asked darkly.

"I came to see you both." he smiled.

I looked at Alina. She was wearing light colored jeans- at least 4 holes in them and a black sweater. She looked great, but her face said otherwise. She was wide-eyed and it looked like she would start crying any second now. "You're back." she smiled, but looked uncertain to wether she should or not.

"Alina, what the hell are you doing here? With him?!" I asked her. I walked forward.

"He came to the shop and asked if I knew you. He said that If I went somewhere with him, you'd be there. And of course, I lead him here because I knew you'd be able to figure out where I was." A tear rolled down her flushed cheek. "And I just... really, really missed you."

My eyes widened as I watched her fall to her knees. Sephiroth put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Zack. I'm so selfish." Alina cried out.

"No you're not. You saved me the trouble of hunting those two down." Sephiroth chuckled.

Alina slapped him hand away. She must've figured out that he was bad news. She got to her feet. "Don't touch me."

Cloud stepped forward, a few inches in front of me. "What do you want Sephiroth?"

"I want you and Zack to work for me."

"Work for you?" I snapped. "Why would we want to do that?"

"I need some strong partners is all." he looked at me, smiling.

"Sorry, we're not interested." Cloud said, putting a hand on his sword.

"Calm down Cloud. I didn't come here to fight." Sephiroth threw up a hand and unleashing a big black wing, disappeared.

"Damn." Cloud mumbled.

"Alina, are you okay?" I asked.

She looked up at me with her big, beautiful green eyes. "Yes. But I guess it would be a bad idea to say 'welcome back' at this point.

"No it wouldn't." I smiled.

"Well then, welcome back, Zack the puppy." she smiled, throwing her hand up.

I ignored the last part. Throwing my arms around her in a hug. I said "it's good to be back. Thanks."

"So, this is Cloud. Cloud, this is Alina." I introduced them to each other.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you Cloud." Alina bowed.

Cloud nodded his head in response. "Nice to meet you too."

Cloud was quiet, just like Vincent. Alina sighed. She probably thought that too.

"What's the matter Alina?" I asked her.

"They're both so quiet. Vincent and Cloud." she leaned to whisper in my ear.

I laughed. "Can I talk to you when we get to the shop?"

She nodded.

Back at Ceres' (Alina's POV)

"Alina!" Esmeralda ran up to me right after we walked through the door.

"Hey. Esmeralda, look who's back." I smiled, then pointed at Zack.

"I know are you okay?" she asked me.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm sorry for making you worry." I said. "So, Zack, lets go. You wanted to talk right?"

Zack I left Esmeralda and Cloud inside so we could talk. It was starting to get dark now.

"Alina, are you sure you're okay? Sephiroth didn't hurt you did he?" Zack asked me. His face had worry written all over it.

"I'm fine. I promise. He didn't do anything. But... I want to say sorry for putting you and Cloud through that. I missed having you around." I smiled at him.

"I missed being here. No matter what he says, don't even believe Sephiroth." Zack said.

I nodded. Zack looked at me, his bright blue eyes shining. He smiled. I couldn't stand it any longer. I threw my arms around him to give him a hug and he put his arms around me in response. "Thank you." then, the tears started pouring.

"Alina, why are you crying?" he asked softly.

I didn't want to ruin this, I didn't want to look up at him. "Just... let me hug you a little longer, please?" I begged.

"Sure." he tightened his hold on me.

I close my eyes. I wanted to keep this moment forever. I grunted and tightened my closed eyes. Zack moved back.

"Alina?"

I threw my eyes open, and grabbed him, pulling him back against me. I shook my head, as if to tell him. "No."

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm trying to concentrate."

"Concentrate? On what?"

I squeezed him. "This."

He laughed, and pushed me away gently. "This us our first intense hug."

I looked at him. "Yes."

He turned around, and looked over his shoulder. "There will be more, you know. But... it may have turned out to be more than a hug if you kept squeezing me." he winked.

"Zack." my face felt hot. I was blushing.

"Hey. You coming? Grunty." he said, then walked back inside.

I smiled and followed him.

"This is Cloud. Cloud this is Esmeralda." Zack introducing my sister to the blonde stranger.

"Hello." she said.

"Hi." Cloud replied. I could tell that Esmeralda wouldn't talk to him after that. She didn't like quiet people. I laughed.

Cloud looked at me in confusion. "What's funny?' he asked me.

"Nothing. Hope you find yourself comfortable here. Make yourself at home. Okay?" I smiled.

He nodded.

I wanted to go back outside, so I stepped out. I couldn't stop smiling. I was glad to see Zack again, back in the shop. Although, I was stupid for letting myself follow Sephiroth. He now knows where to find Zack and Cloud. My head dropped.

I leaned back against the wall, and slid to the ground. I crossed my arms and placed them on top of my knees, I hunched over, grabbing the sides of my legs and placed my head to the side, laying on my knees caps. I felt as if I couldn't sit still. Then, the door came open. I looked up without lifting my head. It was Zack.

He bent down and looked me straight in the eyes. "You okay?"

I smiled. He sat beside me and looked out in front of him. A cool breeze blew, ruffling our hair. I watched him, wondering why I hadn't blushed yet. I was fascinated by him, and for some weird reason I liked watching the wind blow through his hair. His face was gentle and I wanted to touch it. His muscles were perfectly portioned, and he was relaxed.

Seeing him like this made me happy. I was still smiling. I looked away and out in front of me to watch the people go by. I closed my eyes and let the wind wrap around me. It was light and powerful at the same time. At that moment I felt Zack's eyes on me, but I didn't look his way. Instead, I kept my eyes closed and imagined being the wind, wishing I could run my fingers through his hair, caress his beautiful face, wrap my arms around him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

I looked at him, then buried my face in my arms, blushing again. "It's nothing really."

"Right. I don't believe you." he laughed.

"Well," I stood up and put my hands behind my back. Then, I slowly turned to look at him. "I was... thinking..."

"Yeah?..." he waited for the rest of my answer.

"About...you." I smiled and I felt my face get hotter. My cheeks were probably scarlet now.

He pointed at his chest. "Me?"

I laughed and turned back around to look In front of me. "Yes, you."

"Hm..." he crossed his arms, placing them behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Zack?" I bent down to look at his face.

He smiled, then grabbed my hand to pull me down to his level. I was only inches away from his face, staring into his beautiful blue eyes.

"Hey you two–" the door flew open as my sister stepped out. I looked at her, her eyes grew wide. I jumped, taking a few steps back. "Uh.. Alina, someone made a house call."

"O- okay. Did you write everything down for me?" I asked shakily.

"Yes. The list is on the counter. I wrote the address on the back." she answered. "I'll get the stuff ready for you." she grinned and went back inside.

Zack sighed, looking at me with his head slanted. I put my hands on my burning face. The heat felt as if it was rising from my toes. He laughed at me and stood. "Gotta love your sister."

"Yeah..." I trailed.


End file.
